Vegan Bruschetta Cheese Ball
Tangy, creamy, full of flavor and dairy free! You won't believe how these healthy ingredients come together to make a bruschetta flavored vegan cheese ball.
Servings: 6
Calories: 158kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic , chopped (about 2-3 cloves)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
- ¼ cup fresh tomatoes , chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil , sliced
- 2 tablespoons sundried tomatoes , chopped (dried, not in oil)
Breadcrumb topping:
- ½ cup breadcrumbs , gluten free if needed
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil , sliced
- 2 tablespoons sundried tomatoes , chopped (dried, not in oil)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt , optional (see note)
Instructions
- Grind the cashews in a food processor until you get a fine powder. You are grinding them dry, not soaked.
- Add the vinegar, garlic, salt and mustard and blend until you get a smooth paste, scraping the sides as you go.
- Add in the fresh tomatoes, basil and sundried tomatoes and pulse to incorporate. Don’t puree too much because you want some texture.
- Now scrape out the creamy mixture and place it in cheese cloth, a tea towel or just any piece of cloth. Wrap it up into a ball and rubberband it (see the post for photos).
- Put the ball in a mesh strainer and then put that over a bowl (see photo in the post on this too). Place it in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours, but overnight is best. This will help draw out the small amount of moisture that is in the cheese, firming it up a bit. You don’t have to use a strainer but that helps keep its shape.
- Now, if you simply can’t wait and must eat this now, or just don’t want to deal with cloth, then you can definitely eat this as a spread. You can simply put it in a bowl, and top with the breadcrumb topping or skip the breadcrumbs all together.
- To make the breadcrumb topping, place all ingredients in a pan and heat on medium low, constantly mixing, until browned a bit. This takes about 3-5 minutes max. You can use a drizzle of oil if you prefer to get an even crispier result. You can do this the same day you make the cheese ball, then store in a container until the next day when you coat it.
- When ready to finish the cheese ball, pour the breadcrumbs onto a plate. Take the cheese ball out of the cloth and place it on the breadcrumbs. Slowly roll it around, or use your hands to coat the ball.
- Serve with crackers and veggies!
- The cheese ball will soften the longer it is out of the fridge, but once coated in breadcrumbs still retains its shape well.
Notes
- You can use apple cider vinegar if you prefer but the distilled white vinegar gives it a much better tang for a more cream cheese type flavor.
- The cheese ball itself has plenty of salt so you don’t need more in the breadcrumb topping, but if you want to add more you can.
- Note that this is not meant to be a hard cheese. It is meant to be a soft cheese ball, just like the traditional dairy kind. It will get thicker and a bit firmer after letting it set overnight in the cloth, but it won't get hard like parmesan or cheddar cheese. Think more along the lines of a goat cheese like ball or a thick cream cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 184mg | Potassium: 270mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 150IU | Vitamin C: 2.3mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1.7mg